Martin selected as one of 30 U.S. Senate Pages

Neshoba Central High School junior Ty Martin said he is still trying to process being accepted into the United States Senate Page Program in Washington, D.C.

“I still can’t believe it, and I ask myself from time to time, ‘What did I get myself into?’” Martin said. “This is an extremely competitive program, and only 30 students are chosen for each session.”

Martin, chairman of the Neshoba County Teenage Republicans, said he received his appointment for the program on Nov. 16 from Mississippi U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker.

“To get selected, you have to have at least a 3.0 GPA, you have to be a junior, and you can’t be older than 18 years old,” Martin said. “I also have to attend the school there.”

Martin said he felt he was selected out of the many other candidates because of his involvement in Mississippi politics, particularly the Neshoba County Teenage Republicans.

“Over the past few years, I’ve become very active in politics,” Martin said. “I have good references like Tate Lewis, the executive director of the Mississippi GOP, and some of the names I put on my resume and the experiences I’ve had to stick out. One of the biggest requirements to be chosen for this is to be politically engaged.”

Martin originally applied for the program over the summer for the Fall Session but got denied. However, he was accepted when he applied for the program’s Spring Session.

Martin’s first day is Jan. 31. Each morning he will take classes from 6:15 a.m. until 9:45 a.m. when the Senate opens.

“I’ll be taking English comp, pre-calculus, physics and U.S. history,” Martin said. “I won’t have a cell phone, only a landline attached to my room, or Internet besides the government WiFi, which I can only use for my schoolwork. I won’t return to Neshoba Central until June 11.”

Martin said the part he’s looking forward to the most is getting to check books out from the Library of Congress.

“I’m also looking forward to being on the Senate floor every day,” he said. “Being on the floor watching what happens in real-time is an honor. No one is usually allowed on the Senate floor besides Senators. Getting to go work up there is beyond belief.”

Martin said the most challenging part of attending the page program is not knowing where the other students are coming from.

“These other 29 kids will be from all over the country,” he said. “Everyone’s personalities are different. When I come back in June, I’ll have learned to get along with people in a quick process. I hope I learn some physics and calculus up there, so it’ll put me ahead when I come back to Neshoba.”